An Eternity of Servitude
by Tollivandi Silverwing
Summary: Genie was willing to give up his freedom so that Aladdin and Jasmine could be together. Why is that? What can a genie know of human love?
1. Transformation

_Tolly: This is one of those stories that just begs me to put it on FanFiction. It's an annoying little idea that sticks in my head._

Disclaimer: Najib is not technically mine.

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I was once a poor serving girl, who loved a high-born young man. This may seem like a common tale, but my story is far from ordinary. It begins many, many centuries ago, in a city in the middle of the Arabian Desert…

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"Adira, stop daydreaming and help me with this fruit." Sabirah said impatiently.

"Coming, Sabirah." I sighed and turned away from the procession heading toward the palace.

"Let me guess," said Sabirah. "Najib?"

I did my best to look innocent. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Adira, you need to stop this nonsense. He's the son of a nobleman, and you're a servant. End of story." She turned to the next merchant.

"So you say, even now, when he wears my earring on his left ear?" I showed her my bare earlobe triumphantly. "He told me he'd wear it till the day he died."

"You spent months earning the money to pay for those earrings, Adira! How could you give one to Najib so freely?" Sabirah stared at me in shock. "You know that his father is arranging a marriage for him even as we speak."

I grimaced. "Why do you torment me so? Love always finds a way. You're the one who's told me that since I was a child."

"Yes, and you are but a child still."

"You know as well as I that I am old enough to marry."

"Of course. We'll find you a suitable husband soon enough. A merchant, perhaps." As Sabirah spoke, several of the nearby merchants' sons picked up their heads hopefully. I ignored them.

"I only wish to marry Najib." I finished loading up my basket and waited while Sabirah paid the merchant.

"Leave the wishing to those with wealth and power." Sabirah snapped. "Now come along. If we are late, the master will be furious."

We began walking back to the palace. For the most part, working for the sultan wasn't so bad. The sultan was kind to his subjects and his servants. But his son was very cruel. If a servant did not obey his command exactly as he wanted them to, he would beat them mercilessly. I had received more than my share of lashes for my 'incompetence' as he called it. It was every servant's dream that he suddenly fall dead, and one of the younger princes would be next in line to be sultan. But every day, to our great disappointment, he remained perfectly healthy.

The kitchen was bustling when Sabirah and I returned, and the head cook was angry with us for being so late. We weren't _that _late.

"Sabirah!" snapped the cook. "You're to help the maids prepare the rooms for the guests. Adira, serving duty!"

My heart leapt with joy. The reason we were all so busy was because the sultan was hosting a party of sorts for the city's nobility. Serving duty meant I had a chance to see Najib, and tell him where we could meet later that night.

Sabirah knew what I was thinking (she always did) and flashed me a warning glance as I left the kitchen. I pretended to ignore her, but reminded myself to be careful not to attract attention. Sabirah was my superior for a good reason.

I kept my head down as I entered the main hall, where the royal and noble families were. However, I scanned the room quickly as I made my rounds with the appetizers. There was Najib. He was speaking with his father, and looked absolutely furious. I wondered what could make him so upset, as he was usually so even-tempered. He eventually excused himself from his father's company and made his way toward me.

"The garden," he said as he took a bit of food from my tray. "Southwest corner."

I nodded, still keeping my head down. Someone was bound to notice if a servant looked directly at a noble.

Najib turned and began speaking politely with another nobleman. I continued to circulate until my tray was empty, at which point I retuned to the kitchen to prepare for the evening meal.

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The party lasted long into the night. It's amazing how long people can go on talking about virtually nothing. But at long last, one by one they went off to bed.

I crept outside, hardly noticing the beauty of the sultan's garden, the fragrance of the flowers, or the silence of the city that slept beyond the palace walls. All I registered was that it was a clear night. Looking back, I wish I had appreciated how beautiful that night was.

I saw Najib waiting beneath a tree. I ran to him and reached up to kiss him, but he held me back.

"I have to tell you something, Adira." he said quietly, trying not to look at me.

I stepped back, fearing that I already knew.

"My father has arranged a marriage for me. I can't do anything about it. Believe me, I tried."

I stood there, stunned. I wasn't angry, surprisingly. "Who is she?"

"Her family's wealth is pretty new, so I don't know her name. I saw her for the first time tonight." That wasn't too surprising. In the noble world, a person's status was determined by their wealth and lineage. If her status was new, it meant that her family had accumulated a lot of money in a short time.

"We have to do something," I said, taking his hands. "We could run away, leave all this behind. There has to be someplace we can go where we can be together."

"You're right, Adira." Najib drew me closer. "Let's leave the city, tonight."

As he leaned his head down to kiss me, I saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye.

"What was that?" I said as I looked again. There was nothing there.

"What was what?" Najib looked where I was staring.

"I though I saw something."

"It was probably just a bird or something." Despite his words, Najib held me closer.

A woman walked out of the shadows and I felt Najib stiffen beside me.

"Good evening, Najib," she said. Her voice was like the purring of a tiger before it attacked. She looked at me. "Who is this girl?"

Najib was silent.

"Very well, I will introduce myself. I am Zaida, Najib's wife-to-be. I'm sure he's told you all about me." She smiled, and I shivered with fright. The way she spoke was so calm, so deadly. I glanced around, wanting to run as far away as I could. She noticed my uneasiness. "Oh, now, don't be frightened. There's someone I'd like you both to meet. Show yourself!" she called over her shoulder.

Something else came into the clearing.

I stared in wonder at the being before me. It would have been a normal young woman, but for a few differences. For one, instead of legs, from the waist down was a red wisp of smoke. For another, her skin was bright red. A wide golden band on each of her wrists was her only jewelry. She grinned demonically at Najib and me before turning to Zaida.

"Yes, Master?" the being asked.

"In case you are wondering," Zaida continued, taking a bronze lamp from her robes. "This is the secret to my success."

"A-a genie?" I stammered, remembering a tale from my childhood.

"Isn't it amazing? I received three wishes. One I used for wealth, another to be a noble. The third and final wish, I haven't used yet."

"So you wished your way to nobility? No wonder I'd never heard of you before." Najib said. "You know, you really should have tried wishing for good looks instead."

She paid no attention to him. "Now, how should I use my third wish? Immediate death to the two of them? Or maybe I'll just make him fall in love with me instead."

"I can't do either of those things, Master." interrupted the genie. "Hey! Here's an idea: you could wish for my freedom!"

"Silence!" snapped Zaida, turning to the genie. "You are forever complaining of your eternal enslavement. I—" She stopped short, as if she had a sudden idea. She turned to us and spoke softly. "I believe I have settled on a suitable punishment for you, lovers."

I glanced at the genie's golden bands and gulped. _Not jewelry, _I thought. _Shackles._

"What is death compared to an eternity of servitude?" Zaida's eyes lit up, and in that moment, I realized that she was insane. I never found out what exactly made her so, but it was a terrifying realization. "Genie! For my third wish, I wish for these two to be bound by the same fate that binds you! I wish for them to become genies!"

The genie looked torn between sadness and glee, if that was even possible. She raised her arms and pointed one red finger at each of us. The last thing I saw was a thin bolt of lightening leap from her fingertip toward me, before I was surrounded by a swirling blue mist.

An immense power filled by body. You can't possibly imagine how incredible it felt to have the power of the universe suddenly at your fingertips. I felt my mortal life slip away and be replaced with immortality. I knew that I could be anything, do anything.

The blue mist vanished as quickly as it appeared. I looked down at myself and gasped. I was wearing the same one-strapped top I had on that day, and a golden earring in my right ear, but my ears had grown pointed and my skin was a pale sky blue. My lower half was a blue wisp trailing from a silver lamp that had appeared on the ground. I looked over at Najib and saw that he had undergone the same transformation, only the lamp beneath him was golden and he was bare-chested.

"Finish it!" Zaida screeched.

Silver shackles snapped themselves to my wrist and a soft voice whispered in my ear: _"Three wishes to the one who rubs the lamp…you cannot alter__fate, be it love or death…only your master's wish can free you…" _The voice faded away as I felt a sharp pull on my legs (or what used to be my legs) and I felt myself being drawn into the silver lamp. I stretched out my hand toward Najib and our fingers held for an instant before I was trapped inside the lamp, alone with my thoughts.

_Tolly: This first chapter is the longest one, I swear. Please review!_


	2. First Master

If you've ever wondered what a genie does while they're inside their lamps, here's your answer as best I can explain: It's kind of like hibernating. You're aware of time passing, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference. You might get a little cramped up eventually, but that's only after a few millennia or so of imprisonment.

Anyway, I was only cooped up for a few months that first time. Apparently, the palace guards had found Zaida laughing away in the garden, with three lamps on the ground beside her. They had no explanation for it (would you?) so they locked her up and sold the lamps. It was a while before anyone actually paid any attention to my lamp, but eventually, a young merchant was polishing up his wares and thus rubbed the lamp, releasing me.

For my first time appearing to a master, I think I did pretty well. I came out as a wisp of blue smoke and gradually took my genie form. The merchant just stared at me in utter disbelief, cleaning rag still in his hand.

"What is your wish, Master?" I said, crossing my arms impressively.

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

"You have three wishes."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"What are you?"

"I'm a genie. And you're my master."

"I am?"

"Yes." I was getting impatient. I wanted to try out my powers. "Make a wish, Master."

"I can wish for anything I want?"

"Pretty much."

"Alright, I wish I had more interesting things to sell. Nobody ever comes to my stall."

I looked around at his merchandise. This wish would definitely help him. I raised my hands and aimed at his stall. Multicolored sparks shot from my palms and swirled around the stall, filling it with splendid jewelry and colorful scarves. Beautiful pottery stacked itself on newly created shelves. I nodded, satisfied at my handiwork, and turned to my master. He, of course, was stunned.

Over the next few days, I stayed in my lamp as the merchant's business grew. I peeked out a few times (I just lifted the lid a fraction of an inch. It turns out you can do more once you have a master) and saw him happily buying and selling goods. He seemed content enough.

But, one morning, just before the city came to life for the day, he took my lamp down and rubbed it once more. I appeared, giving myself legs and leaning against a wall. "Yes, Master?" I asked.

He sighed, sitting on his stool and putting his chin in his hands. "I saw her again."

"Who?"

"The woman I'm going to marry. Well, I want to marry her, but she doesn't even know I exist." He turned to me. "But I don't want to wish for her to fall in love with me, because then it wouldn't be real."

"That's good, because I couldn't make her fall in love with you, anyway."

"What do you mean?" He furrowed his brow. "What else can't you do?"

"Well, I can't kill anyone, or bring someone back to life. Can't make anyone fall in love. And no wishing for more wishes." I shrugged. "Anything else is fair game."

"That's okay. I wouldn't want any of those things, anyway." said Master. I decided that I liked this master. At least I didn't end up in the hands of some idiot.

"But, what about this girl?" I said. "Is she pretty?"

"She's beautiful."

"Is she nice?"

"The other day, I saw her barter for almost half an hour, just to get a fish for dinner, and then she turned around and gave it to a beggar child." he said, shaking his head at her kindness. "And I know that she's not very rich herself."

"Well, we're going to have to get you two together." I stood straight and rose a few inches off the ground.

"I thought you said you can't make someone fall in love."

"I can't, but that doesn't mean I can't be matchmaker. Of course, you still need to wish for me to help. Just wish to meet the girl of your dreams face-to-face. And hurry up, before you get a customer."

"Alright, if you say so. Genie, I wish to meet the girl of my dreams face-to-face."

"Your wish is my command." I surprised myself by turning into a scruffy little dog. It was as easy as thinking. "Tell me when you see her." said Adira-the-dog.

I sat on the ground next to his stall all morning. It may sound boring, but it was actually pretty fun. I mean, at least I got to get out of the lamp for a while. Finally, around mid-day, Master bent down just as if he was petting his dog.

"That's her." he said quietly, pointing.

She was walking down the street, away from his stall. I jumped up and trotted down the street after her. When I got close, I made a metal bar appear in front of her ankle for just a second. She tripped over it and her shoe came off. Quickly, I darted in, grabbed her shoe in my mouth, and sat in front of her, tilting my head to one side.

"Aren't you cute," she cooed. She reached for her shoe and I scampered a few steps away. "Oh, you want to play, do you?" I wagged my tail and patted the ground with my front paws. She laughed and started chasing me down the street, back towards Master's stall. I stopped and sat down at Master's feet, still gripping her shoe with my teeth.

"Is this your dog?" she asked Master as she caught up.

He looked down at me and I winked at him. "Yes. Here, I'll get your shoe back." He knelt down and tried to take the shoe from me. I immediately started a game of tug-of-war, growling. Just as he was tugging his hardest, I let go, and he fell backward. I ran behind the stall. The woman laughed, and he blushed, picking himself up and glaring at me as he brushed off his clothes. "Genie…" he said, warningly. I just barked at him.

"Genie? That's an interesting name for a dog." said the woman.

"Oh," he said, remembering that we had company. "Sorry she stole your shoe. Here." He handed to her. She put it on and turned to go. I ran behind her legs, tripping her again. Master hurried to help her up, and I lay down by the stall, watching them as they fell in love. Literally.

It was a few hours before she (her name was Muna) left, but when she did, I made a flower appear in Master's hand. Once I saw the look in their eyes, though, I retreated to my lamp, tears flowing freely. I missed Najib so much. Would I ever see him again?

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That night, Master rubbed my lamp, so I dried my eyes and appeared before him as a miniature version of myself, sitting on top of my lamp. "Yes, Master?" I asked. "What is your wish?"

"I don't actually have a wish right now. I just wanted to thank you. Muna is perfect, everything I could wish for. I-" He stopped and looked at me curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Master." I turned my head into an overly-cheery smiley-face.

Master crossed his arms. "Really?"

I sighed, turning my head back to normal and putting my chin in my hands. "It's just, you and Muna remind me of someone I once knew, that's all."

I almost told him about Najib, but I didn't. Nobody could know about my past life. On second thought, why not? A thought crept slowly into my mind: _I didn't exist before. I've always been a genie._ I straightened up and shook my head. Of course I existed before. The thought was terrifying, all the same. And part of me believed it.

Master looked unconvinced, but didn't question me any further. He appeared to be thinking. He dismissed me without saying anything more.

A while later (actually, a few days later), Master was ready for his third wish.

"Genie," he said. "I need a real house. I can't keep sleeping behind my stall every night, especially if I'm going to marry Muna. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, easy. Just make a wish."

"Genie, I wish for you to make me a house."

"As you wish."

Making the house would be easy. The challenge was where to put it. I figured I could make a space between two houses and plop it in between. I shot up into the air until I had a bird's eye view of the whole city. The way things were set up, I had to stretch the whole city to make a space for a new house. I raised my hands and aimed at the city walls. Sparks flew out of my fingertips and pushed at the walls, extending the city. Thankfully, it didn't make a whole lot of noise. At least, not as much as you'd think.

But something stirred in a house near the palace. Something that was bright blue against the shadows. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I set the house in place. I would have investigated, but as soon as the last wish was fulfilled, I was sucked back into the lamp to wait for my next master. The last thing I heard was a voice calling my name.

_Tolly: Adira's sure got a lot to say, eh? More coming._


	3. The Cave of Wonders

_Tolly: I know it took, like, forever, but school can be so annoying when it gets in the way of the more important things in life, you know? _

Disclaimer: See 1st chapter. I don't feel like repeating myself. Oh, wait: I don't own the Cave of Wonders or anything else that may be mentioned in this chapter, but don't you want to know how it got there?

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And, thusly, three thousand years passed, with variations. For instance, I served his royal lowness, the prince (or should I say Sultan), at one point. That was when the no killing rule got kind of annoying. It was also when I learned of Sabirah's death…

Anyway, you might say I traveled the world a bit in those days, passed from master to master. But it's not like I actually got to see anything. A few times, I was locked up for centuries at a time. That wasn't too fun. After one such extended dormancy, I found myself in the hands of a young woman, who, like me, had been a servant in the palace, and whose parents had been killed by the current sultan. She intended to use me to bring him down. My story picks up again just before her plan is going to be executed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Master was pacing back and forth on the sand. "I need some kind of trap. Something that he won't be able to resist, the greedy…" (Here she let off a stream of colorful curses, which I shall not repeat) "But what?"

I sat, bored, next to my lamp. She hadn't even made one wish yet. "Hate to break it to you, but I can't make a death trap." I said, yawning widely.

"Yes, I'm aware of that…restriction." said Master. "But if you make a trap and he enters it completely of his own free will, does that count?"

"Well, no, actually." I said, after some thought. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Absolutely. Genie, for my first wish, I wish for a mystical cave, filled with unimaginable riches…with a curse upon it."

I was all ready to create this cave when she added this last bit. "Er…what kind of curse, exactly?" I had never done this sort of thing.

"That only a worthy soul may enter, one who will not be tempted by the fabulous wealth. A diamond in the rough." She laughed a little at her pun. "You know, wealth, diamonds…oh never mind. Anyway, that is my wish."

"That counts as two, I think. Cave, curse," I said, counting off on my fingers. "Yeah, that will be two wishes."

"Oh fine! Just do it!"

"Okay then, here we go." I rose into the air and drifted a short distance away. I shot magic into the ground, which immediately started writhing and roiling, shaping itself into a…a, um…well, to this day, I'm not really sure what it was. It was kind of catlike, in a way. Whatever it was, it was missing something. In this case, it needed glowing eyes to complete the overall effect. So I went back to my master and made her give me this beetle pendent she was wearing (I probably could've made something myself, but I felt like she had to give up something. Besides, it was a big ugly thing anyway) and cracked it in half, putting one part in each empty eye. Then, it came to life, literally. Its huge mouth opened wide, revealing the entrance to the cave.

I went inside, quickly filling it with gold, jewels, etc., and came back out. "Alright then," I said to the cave. "Listen up. I hereby dub you the Cave of Wonders," I conjured up a massive sword and laid it on each of its shoulders (that is, where they'd be if it _had_ shoulders). "You are to let no one in but a diamond in the rough…"

"Genie," Master sighed, annoyed.

"Hey, it was your idea." I said to her, and turned back to the cave. "As I was saying, only someone who is worthy may go in. Otherwise, you can eat them…or something…got it?"

"Yes, O mighty Genie." the cave said in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Master, getting more irritated.

"No, but it's a nice touch, don't you think? Anyway, one wish left. What'll it be, Master?"

"I wish for the sultan's most prized possession to be put into the deepest cavern of the Cave of Wonders." she said simply.

"Your wish is my command. Would you like me to get him to come too? I promise it won't count as an extra wish." I grinned cheekily at her.

"Yes, Genie." she said, gritting her teeth.

I rose into the air until I could see the city. "By the way," I said, taking aim at the palace. "What _is_ the sultan's most prized possession, anyway?" I fired my magic towards the city.

"A golden lamp." said Master.

"A WHAT?" I yelled, falling out of the sky, and landing, rather heavily, in human form. It had been three thousand years since I had last seen Najib, three thousand years since our transformation, and here he was, right in the city. "The sultan has a genie? And you didn't tell me?"

"Well, being a genie yourself, I thought you knew. I mean, look at the sultan's flying carpet. How do you think he got that? And…"

"I don't care about a stinkin' carpet!" I shouted, growing larger and larger. "I care about the genie I'm putting into the stinkin' cave!"

"I'm sorry if you feel bad about doing that to one of your own kind, but that's not for you to decide, is it?" Master yelled back up at me. "I'm the master, I've made my wish, and you've granted it! And look, here he comes now!"

With a puff of blue smoke, I was back to my regular form, staring at the procession that was now streaking our way. Najib's lamp was moving steadily towards the cave, followed by the sultan on his magic carpet, one arm outstretched, reaching for the lamp. I shot towards them as they entered the cave, intending to follow, but my shackles held me back as though I was chained to my lamp. I felt myself being tugged back into it and I fought with all I had, my eyes on the cave as it swallowed Najib and his master. The cave, having obtained its most valuable treasure, started to disintegrate.

"Cave of Wonders!" I cried, still resisting the pull of the lamp. The cave seemed to hear me, despite the fact that it was nearly gone. "The worthy one, the one who can enter, he can get only the lamp! You got it? Only the lamp!"

With that, the cave disappeared, leaving behind only the two halves of its beetle pendant eyes. And me? I was back inside my lamp, with only my grief for company.


	4. One Last Wish

_Tolly: Ah yes, so sad…tear…well, here it is. The final chapter. There are more "explanations for existence" thingies in here (did anyone catch the carpet?). So read on…_

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Something was going on outside my lamp. My last master had finished his three wishes and hadn't passed me on to someone else yet. I could just barely hear people's voices. I listened closely.

"We'd better get started if we're going to clean this place out today." said a female voice.

"Yeah, but just look at all this stuff. There's no way we can get rid of all of it. Abu, don't touch that." This was a man's voice.

"Let's just get it over with." There were the sounds of someone rummaging around, then… "Hey, come look at this"

"What is it?" said the man, not sounding as if he was looking at it.

"A lamp." said the woman curiously, and I felt myself being lifted

"A lamp? Here?" Now the man sounded interested. "But if he…you don't think it's…?"

"Only one way to find out, hmm?" My lamp was rubbed. Instead of appearing completely, I decided to send a small flame out of the spout of the lamp.

"Oh, it's just an ordinary lamp, I guess." said the man.

"Yeah, I guess so." The woman sounded a little disappointed. She set my lamp down again.

"Well, I'm going to take this box upstairs. You'll be alright down here by yourself?"

"Of course. Abu will keep me company."

"Alright, be right back."

There was a snuffling sound near my lamp. I looked out through the flame. A monkey was examining the lamp. Then he saw my eyes in the fire and jumped away, screeching.

"What is it, Abu?" said the woman, evidently calming the monkey down. More screeching. "Oh, the lamp? Don't worry; it's just a regular lamp…" She trailed off, staring.

My flame-shape grew larger, turning blue and twisting around itself until taking my regular form. I heard a gasp from the woman and took a look at her. She was very pretty, with her black hair tied back and her fine clothing. The monkey, however, seemed terrified. He clung tightly to the woman's arm, gawking at me with wide eyes.

"Master, how may I serve you?" I said, in a regular voice (as in, not huge and booming).

"So, Jafar had another genie." she said with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, seems like it." I said, not caring much about what my last master had been up to since his last wish. "Now, about your three wishes…"

Before she could say anything, the man came back down the stairs, this time accompanied by a parrot. A very familiar-looking parrot, I might add.

"Jasmine," he said, looking at me. "What's going on?"

The parrot took a good look at me as well. Suddenly he squawked, "You!"

I'd recognize that annoying voice anywhere. I groaned. "You're still around? I thought for sure you'd be dead by now."

"Wait, you know this genie?" the man asked.

"Well, yeah." I answered for him. "And I'm terribly sorry for you. It's my fault he can talk."

"You mean Iago was one of Jafar's wishes?" asked the woman, Jasmine.

"Unfortunately, yes. His first. So I had plenty of quality time with the feathered annoyance." The parrot made a face at me. I made one back at him.

"What else did he wish for?"

"This place, for one. And a few certain…artifacts." I said, remembering one in particular.

"Like his staff?" asked the man.

I nodded. "And a…well, a key."

"A key? A key to what?"

I was silent for a while, remembering a night ten thousand years before. "The Cave of Wonders." I whispered, my quiet voice echoing around the chamber.

"The Cave…?" Jasmine suddenly looked at the man. "Aladdin, where's Genie?"

"Oh, great, there's another one." I muttered. They paid no attention to me.

"He's upstairs with Carpet. Why?" said Aladdin.

"Get him." said Jasmine. Aladdin looked at her, confused. "Now!" He snapped to.

"What do you know about the Cave of Wonders, Genie?" she asked, turning again to me.

"Only that I created it. And filled it." I added quietly.

"Genie…" Jasmine sighed and shook her head. "I can't keep calling you Genie."

"Why not?"

"Because I already call someone that. Do you have another name?"

I thought about that for a minute. I must have had a name at one point. But thirteen thousand years can make you forget a lot of things. "None that I can remember."

Jasmine opened her mouth to say something, but just then, Aladdin came back, with company.

I stared at the being, my mind refusing to believe it. It had been so long. It couldn't be…

"Adira?" he said, incredulous as well.

Sparkling tears streaming down my face, I rushed into Najib's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I sobbed, thousands of years of guilt and sorrow bubbling up inside me. "I couldn't do anything. I didn't mean to, I couldn't…"

"Shh." Najib tilted my face up, and looked into my eyes. "It's over now. I'm free, and we're together again."

I shook my head, still crying. I couldn't say it, that we could never be free, that we'd just be separated again, that the shackles still bound us.

Najib looked past me, at the humans. "Jasmine?" he asked. "Please?"

"There's no need to ask." Jasmine turned and picked up my lamp. "Genie," she said. I turned to face her, Najib's hand still clasped tightly in mine. No matter what happened, no matter what she wished for, I refused to let him go again.

"As your master, I am entitled to three wishes." I nodded, accepting the inevitable. It always happened this way. The master wishes, the genie grants. I was helpless, as always.

"But I'm only asking for one." _Now here's something new_, I thought, slightly puzzled.

"Genie," she said, holding up my lamp. "I wish you were free."

I was momentarily stunned, and my magic took over for me. My lamp rose into the air. The voice I had heard that night so long ago returned. _"You are free…" _It said faintly, fadin away to nothing. An amazing feeling came over me, and my silver shackles fell off. The lamp, my prison, clattered to the floor and I stared at it. Najib touched my shoulder softly.

"Adira," he whispered. "Now we're both free."

I was still speechless, so my powers spoke for me. Fireworks exploded, shrouding us in blue smoke as I kissed him.

_The end._


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